In recent days, President Trump has hinted at the possibility of ending the war, but there are no real changes yet.
In an interview with NBC News, he noted that Iran seems ready to negotiate an end to the conflict, but stated that "the conditions are not satisfactory enough." The Iranian side denied this.
Trump also reported that American forces completely destroyed oil facilities on the Iranian island of Kharg, which is a key export hub, adding that he could strike this facility again "just for fun."
Over the weekend, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that the war is entering a decisive stage and will continue as long as necessary.
Last night and this morning, Iran continued shelling Israel with rockets.
- The U.S. and Israel continue to strike Iran, particularly with missile attacks targeting several sites in the central province of Isfahan, resulting in at least 15 deaths.
- Iran responded with missile strikes on Israel, hitting the city of Holon, and also claimed responsibility for attacks on American bases in Iraq and Kuwait.
The Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Brendan Carr criticized American television channels for "distorting facts" in their coverage of the conflict in the Middle East.
In his social media post, Carr called "fake news" unacceptable and threatened to revoke broadcasting licenses if broadcasters do not correct their mistakes.
"Television companies must act in the public interest, otherwise they may lose their licenses," Carr emphasized.
His message was accompanied by a post from Donald Trump on the Truth Social platform, in which he criticized the "misleading" information emerging during the conflict.
In an interview with CBS News, Carr noted: "People think that licenses are a kind of property right, and nothing can lead to their revocation." He added that television must consider public interests.
Reactions of countries to Trump's call for security in the Strait of Hormuz
On Saturday, Trump posted a message on Truth Social expressing hope that five countries—China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom—would send their warships to the Strait of Hormuz to reduce the threat from Iran.
Here’s how the countries reacted to this call:
United Kingdom: A representative of the Ministry of Defense stated that they are discussing various options for ensuring the security of shipping in the region with allies.
China: A representative of the Chinese embassy in Washington told CNN that Beijing demands an immediate cessation of hostilities.
He did not specify whether China would fulfill Trump's request but added that all parties should ensure stable energy supplies and that China would continue cooperation with involved parties.
Japan: An official response from Tokyo has not yet been received, although Japanese authorities told NHK that this issue may be discussed during Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's upcoming trip to the U.S.
A representative of the foreign ministry added that Japan will not send naval forces solely at Trump's request, as it makes independent decisions.
France: No official response has been received from France.
However, on Saturday, the foreign ministry denied reports of sending its warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
"The French aircraft carrier and its group remain in the eastern Mediterranean, and their position remains defensive," the statement said.
Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and Qatar report interceptions.
The Saudi Ministry of Defense reported intercepting and destroying seven drones in Riyadh and the Eastern Province.
Authorities in Dubai and Qatar also reported interceptions carried out by air defense systems.
The press service of Dubai confirmed that the sounds heard in the Marina and Al-Sufouh areas were the result of a successful interception.
Kuwait also reported several interceptions of drones.
The Qatari Ministry of Defense stated that four ballistic missiles and several drones launched by Iran were intercepted on Saturday.
Trump questions the fate of Iran's new supreme leader.
In a Saturday interview with NBC, Trump also touched on the topic of Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"I don't know if he is alive," Trump said, noting that Khamenei made his first written statement on Thursday.
"I heard he is not alive, and if he is, he should act wisely and surrender," Trump added, describing rumors of his death as "disputed."
Israeli strike on medical center in Lebanon claims 12 medical workers' lives.
An Israeli strike on a medical facility in southern Lebanon on Friday resulted in the deaths of 12 medical workers, including doctors and nurses, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
The head of the World Health Organization condemned this incident. "These events highlight the ongoing assault on Lebanon's healthcare system," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"WHO condemns this tragic loss of life and emphasizes that medical workers must be protected," he added.
The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed that they are aware of the incident in the Borj Khalaway area and that the incident is under investigation.
The Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the U.S. attacked the Iranian islands of Kharg and Abu Musa from two positions in the UAE, close to Dubai.
He characterized this move as dangerous and added that Iran "will try not to attack populated areas" in this region.
The U.S. Central Command declined to comment on Araghchi's statement.
Meanwhile, the diplomatic advisor to the UAE president stated on social media that the country has the right to self-defense but still "prioritizes reason and continues to exercise restraint."
In the past two weeks, Iran has launched numerous missiles and drones at neighboring countries in the Persian Gulf, emphasizing that the targets were American facilities, although there have also been instances of hits on civilian objects, including airports and oil fields.
Brief news:
- In Israel, sirens sounded all night, accompanied by missile strikes from Iran and Hezbollah, with debris causing a fire in the city of Holon.
- According to Al Jazeera, part of the air defense system was damaged in a missile attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad on Saturday morning.
- Iran claimed responsibility for attacks on American bases in Iraq and Kuwait, while the UAE, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia also reported interceptions of missiles and drones.
- Trump told NBC News that the Iranians approached him with a proposal for a deal, but the conditions are "not good enough yet."
- France denied rumors of sending its warships to the Middle East after Trump called on allies and China to keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
- As a result of Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, at least 14 people were killed.
Iran claims responsibility for attacks on Israel and American bases in Iraq and Kuwait.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran reported that it attacked Israel and three American bases in Iraq and Kuwait.
"The continuous sounds of ambulance sirens" in Israel and the Israeli authorities' acknowledgments of "an increasing number of casualties" indicate the "serious impact of heavy IRGC missiles" on industrial areas of Tel Aviv, the statement said.
The statement also claims that the Harir airbase in Erbil and the Ali Al-Salem and Arifjan bases in Kuwait, where American troops are stationed, were "destroyed by powerful Iranian missiles and drones."
An Iraqi group reported five attacks on American bases on Saturday.
The group "Saraya Awliya al-Dam" stated that it carried out attacks in response to the killing of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei and the deaths of its fighters.
During the attacks, American facilities in northern Erbil and the Victoria base at Baghdad airport were hit, sources reported.
Tucker Carlson: "The CIA is investigating my activities and may file criminal charges against me."
The journalist reported on his YouTube channel that the case concerns his contacts with Iranian representatives before the conflict began and his criticism of Israel.
He previously called Israel "one of the ugliest countries" and claimed that Tel Aviv's actions were destroying the "beautiful Middle East."
Iran threatens to consider Ukraine a legitimate military target.
The head of the National Security Commission of the Iranian Parliament, Ebrahim Azizi, stated that Ukraine, by supporting Israel, has become part of the conflict and may be considered a legitimate target for Iran.
"By supporting the Israeli regime with drones, Ukraine has effectively become involved in the war and turned all its territory into a legitimate target," Azizi wrote on social media.
Israel is running out of interceptor missile stocks, Semafor reports.
Most of the arsenal was expended in last year's conflict with Iran, the publication reports.
The conflict deepens the rift in the transatlantic alliance over Russia—The Wall Street Journal.
"Europeans are not ready to realize that transatlantic relations no longer hold the same significance; they need to wake up," analyst Ivan Krastev believes.
The U.S. and its allies in the Middle East are expending munitions in the war with Iran, and European governments fear they will be at the end of the line for new supplies.
Western officials also express concerns about the increased risk of terrorist attacks from Iran and affiliated groups, such as Hezbollah and Hamas, which could provoke a new wave of refugees.
Analyst Mujtaba Rahman from the Eurasia Group believes that the EU has failed to provide an adequate response to the "Iranian test." "The European Union has failed to protect its interests and played no role in diplomacy," he added.
According to him, U.S. naval forces are overstretched in the Persian Gulf, and Washington may need Europe's help on issues like mine clearance and maritime route protection.
Even countries that criticized the war, such as Spain, quickly responded to NATO's call to provide military resources to protect allies.
Strategy lecturer at the College of Europe, Slawomir Dembski, noted that the American-Israeli campaign against Iran could become an example of strategic miscalculations if Washington does not consult its allies.
"America has been accumulating strategic experience for 250 years, but it could be even more effective if it viewed Europe as a source of strategic knowledge," Dembski concluded.
The post The Iranian war continues into its third week. What happened and what’s next? first appeared on K-News.
